“Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!”
The eunuch stumbled through the hall doors, falling and crawling until he reached Yin Yunlan’s feet.
“Your Majesty, something’s wrong with the General’s Manor…”
As soon as the eunuch looked up, his voice abruptly stopped.
“What a worthless dog. What could possibly be wrong with the General’s Manor?”
The eunuch stood frozen, mouth agape, eyes darting to the woman seated in front of the Empress—Yin Qiubai.
Yin Qiubai calmly held a teacup, silent.
“Get out, you dog!”
“Y-yes, this servant deserves to die…”
Yin Yunlan let out a soft sigh. “Tonight’s commotion really scared the city guard. Qiubai, you’re the General Who Guards the Nation—the first woman in history to hold such a high military title. Why are you still so reckless?”
Yin Qiubai lowered her head and said, “Your Majesty, I admit my mistake and am willing to accept punishment.”
“Fortunately, you had the sense to come to the palace and report to me. Otherwise, who knows how many people would’ve had sleepless nights. But still, you didn’t handle it well. Before entering the palace, you should’ve recalled all the soldiers you deployed across the capital.”
Yin Qiubai quickly said, “Your Majesty, I have an important matter to report!”
Yin Yunlan was momentarily stunned, then smiled wryly. “Weren’t you the one so afraid of unrest in the capital? And here I thought you’d grown more stable—praise wasted!”
But Yin Qiubai showed no embarrassment and presented two written documents before Yin Yunlan.
Yin Yunlan chuckled and took the papers, placing them on the desk.
“I heard you brought that death-row convict home and even changed the plaque outside your gate. What’s this? You don’t want the surname Yin anymore—switching to Bai now?”
Yin Qiubai immediately replied, “Please forgive me, Your Majesty, I just felt that…”
“You felt this person had talent, and could serve the nation. So before receiving an imperial decree, you took it upon yourself to remove someone from the death cell.”
Yin Qiubai rose, about to kneel, but her arm was caught.
Yin Yunlan helped her up. “Sit and talk. I haven’t told you to kneel.”
Yin Qiubai asked with some confusion, “Your Majesty, if this person has the ability to govern the country, why would you want to kill him?”
“I never intended to kill him. I knew you took him from the death cell and didn’t stop you. Do you know why?”
“If Your Majesty had no intention to execute him, why not pardon him outright?”
Yin Yunlan frowned slightly and chided her, “I’m the one asking questions. Are you questioning me now?”
Yin Qiubai quickly replied, “Forgive me, Your Majesty, I…”
“Don’t call yourself a subject. If you do, then I truly have no one left by my side.”
Yin Qiubai’s heart softened. She picked up the two documents and knelt beside Yin Yunlan.
“Elder Sister, please take a look.”
Yin Yunlan shook her head, “I’ll read them. Don’t kneel. Stand up.”
She opened the first document. It was densely written. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
The handwriting was poor—unsightly, even.
If it had come from anyone else, Yin Yunlan would have flung it aside and told them to rewrite it.
But since it was from Yin Qiubai, she endured it and kept reading.
Gradually, her expression grew serious, then solemn, then grave. By the end, her face lit up with amazement and even exhilaration.
What a meticulously crafted system!
So precise, without a single flaw!
[A genius!]
Yin Yunlan couldn’t help but praise him in her heart.
Only those in power or truly outstanding generals could recognize the brilliance behind this military academy regulation!
She even suspected that whoever wrote it had extensive military experience.
“Who wrote this?”
Though she asked, she already knew the answer.
“It was Mu Qingbai!”
Yin Yunlan gently placed the first document down. Though her face remained calm, her suspicion had mostly faded.
A youth with such remarkable knowledge—even if he harbored some hidden intentions—so what?
“Your Majesty, how is this military academy regulation?” Yin Qiubai asked urgently.
Yin Yunlan nodded. “‘Those who fear death, stay away from this gate. Those seeking riches and promotion, look elsewhere.’ Well written. But why did he sign it as ‘Mr. Sun’?”
Yin Qiubai shook her head. “I don’t know either.”
“Very well. Let me explain. I was worried he approached you on purpose. That’s why I didn’t issue a pardon right away. I wanted to see how he’d react after you took him.”
Yin Qiubai presented the second paper. “Your Majesty, he’s already reacted.”
With a trace of curiosity, Yin Yunlan opened it.
The moment her eyes landed on the words, even someone as composed as her trembled slightly, her gaze fixed on every character.
“‘I do not fear being shattered to pieces, as long as I may leave my purity in this world…’”
That single line expressed what thousands of words could not.
It echoed like thunder in Yin Yunlan’s mind, shaking her to the core and filling her with admiration.
“What an unwavering and unyielding verse. Could there still be someone so noble in this world?”
She stood abruptly, as if suddenly coming to her senses, and shouted, “Guards!”
“Your subject is here!” came a voice from outside.
“Where is Mu Qingbai?”
“Reporting to Your Majesty, he… has returned to the Imperial Prison.”
Yin Yunlan had her suspicions, yet she was still surprised.
“As expected.”
“If he cannot reclaim his Innocent Body, he will prove his resolve through death?”
“Your Majesty, such a brilliant and loyal talent is rare in the world. Please don’t let him down!”
Yin Yunlan nodded. “Someone, draft an imperial decree!”
Yin Qiubai hurriedly said, “Why issue a decree to pardon a death-row prisoner? Just give me a verbal order, and I’ll take my token to the Imperial Prison and bring him back.”
But Yin Yunlan suddenly paused. “Qiubai, go back for now.”
“Your Majesty?” Yin Qiubai hesitated, looking at her elder sister, as if she wanted to speak but held back.
“Be good. Go home and wait. I promise you—I will not kill him.”
“Yes… Qiubai takes her leave.”
After Yin Qiubai left,
Yin Yunlan’s eyes gleamed as she dictated, “Feeling moved by commoner Mu Qingbai, who would rather die to prove his Innocent Body and patriotic heart, wronged by careless words at the palace gates—today, I pardon his crimes and confer upon him the post of Censorate Inspector.”
In the corner, a eunuch hurriedly transcribed the decree and handed it to the chief eunuch.
“Your Majesty, Mu Qingbai holds no academic title. Without qualifications, how can he be appointed as an official?”
Chief Eunuch Feng Zhen quickly reminded her.
Though a Censorate Inspector was only an eighth-rank post, it was a capital post, one many fought over.
“I say he has one, therefore he has one.”
“But the spring civil exams have already released their results.”
“Let the Ministry of Rites handle it.”
“This servant understands.”
“Wait!” Yin Yunlan suddenly raised her hand, stopping Feng Zhen as he turned to leave.
Yin Yunlan shook her head. “Do not issue the decree just yet.”
“Your Majesty, this servant does not understand—why the change?”
“I don’t believe anyone truly fears nothing. Doesn’t Mu Qingbai still have two days before execution? Let’s observe whether he remains calm in the prison, or if he grows frantic.”
Feng Zhen understood instantly. Her Majesty the Empress was certain that this arrogant scholar, Mu Qingbai, was still afraid of death.
And rightly so.
Since ancient times, who has not feared death?
At least, he had never seen such a person.
So-called death memorials—pleas written in blood—were mere performances by subjects in front of their emperor. What moved the monarch was their courage to make the plea, but in the end, it was still fear of death.
If Mu Qingbai began to panic in the prison, and only then received a pardon, he would be much easier for the Empress to control in the future.
“Merchants value profit, scholars value reputation. Returning to the Imperial Prison again and writing a final poem—he must be using his life to trade for a reputation of innocence.”
“Heh… Send word to the Embroidery Division. Keep a close watch on him. Report daily.”
“Yes~”